Grain handling device



March 7, 1933. o. A. WENBERG GRAIN HANDLING DEVICE 2 SheetsShee c 1 Filed Aug. 2, 1950 n w H e V n Filed Aug. 2, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Even for: @scar 2214 7057 Patented lVlar. 7, 193?;

UNITED STATES OSCAR A. WENBERG, OF BATAVIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNQR TO UNITED STATES WIND ENGINE & PUMP COMPANY, OF BATAVIA,'ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS GRAIN HANDLI DEVICE Application filed August 2, 1930. serial No. 472,730.

, My invention relates to grain blowers, and more particularly to grain blowers, provided with a hopper for receiving the grain from wagons 01' trucks delivering the grain to various heights and in various directions.

My invention contemplates the use of a hopper for'delivering the grain' to a suitable blower, provision being made so that the hopper is adjustable to receive the grain'from wagons or trucks of different floor heights.- The invention is especially adapted for re ceiving the grain and loading it into cars for shipment or in bins for storage. Itis also adaptable for cleaning and drying the grain by elevating it through the blower and a suitable outlet pipe at the time of threshing.

It is an object of the invention to provide a blower having a suitable outlet pipe, which latter may be swiveled to 'any'desired angular position where it "may be secured in place and whereby the device may be usedif desired without the necessity of an elbow on the outlet pipe. I

A further desirable feature is theprovision of a grain blower in which the hopper is provided with self adjusting hinged sides which fit closely underneath the end ofthe. wagon box, thus preventing the spilling of the grain,

and whereby the wagon may deliver the grain from either side of the hopper- The hopper may be easily and quickly re moved from the blower, and iseasily replaced after the wagon is in position, thus eliminating the necessity of backing the load.

An adjustable gate associated with the hopper chute keeps the amount of grain enter ing the blower under the control of the operator at all times and allows a greater or less flow as required for ellicient operation with various'kinds and conditions of grain.

Present methods of farming necessitate reduced labor costs and economical methods of handling grain. My invention provides a simple and efficient device whereby a single operator may handle the grain from the separator to the granary in the cheapest manner and under all conditions, and may set up or take down the device in a few minutes.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from a consideration of blower outlet in position; and

Fig. 5 is'ia detailed sectional view of the clamping means taken on the line correspondingto line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the embodiment-illustrated comprises a rotary fan blower land associated hopper 2, by which thegrain is transferred to the blower. The hopper 2 is preferably of sheetmetal .and provided with an inclined 1100123, side walls 4 and'end walls'5 and 5a." Suitable legs 6 support the outer end of the hopper, the forward end terminating in a chute 7, through which the grain is transferred by gravity, from thehopper to the blower. A control gate 8 is slidably mounted in a position to control the flow of grain through the chute 7 and may be adjusted 'to any desired position, where it is retained byfriction. Each side of the hop er 2 is providedwith a'hinged section 9,"'whic is so constructed and attached to'the hopper that it maybe moved from a horizontalto" an upwardly 'inclinedi'position an'dthereby be adjustable to receive'wa'gon ortruck boxes of difierent floor heights between the end walls of-the hopper. The ends 10 of the hinged sections are turned inwardly,

thereby keeping the ends of the hopper closed atall' times, the inwardly extending lugs ll'cooperating, with stop pins 12 on the end walls when the inclined portions are in a horizontal position. I, j

@Attachedto each end of each hinged section .is a bracket 13 to which the springs'14. aresecured, The brackets 13 also provide stops 13a for the inclined members when they are in raised position. The brackets to which the springs 14 are secured are so arranged that when either or both of the hinged sections are in lowered position the spring passes below the dead center of the hinges, thereby causing the hinged sections to remain in eitherthe raised or lowered adjusted position.

It will be noted that with the hinged section lowered to the horizontal position, the wagon may be backed up until the end of the wagon box extends over the hopper and between the ends thereof. The section. may then be raised and will be held against the bottom of the wagon box and prevent spilling of the grain. As the springs 14 retain the sections pressed upwardly in all positions, except the horizontal, they will be selfadjusting to various heights of the wagon box.

The blower by which'thegrain'may be elevated comprises a cylindrical housing 15, having an outlet pipe 16, to which lattermay be connected any suitable'blower ipe for conveying thegrain to a distance. is supporting frame 17 is provided with a flange 18 on which the housing is rotatably mounted by means of a. concentric ring 19 secured to the side plate 15a of the housing.

The ring 19 is guided concentrically on the flange bya concentric rib 18a and is clamped against the flange in any adjusted position by clamp members'QO, which latter are locked in clamped position by bolts 21 extending through the flange 18. Lugs 22 extend through the locating holes in the flange 18 and the'head of the bolt is engaged in a slot 23, thereby preventing the bolt from turning during the clamping operation. By this means the clamping member 20 is securely clamped against the concentric ring 18, thereby locking the blower in the desired adjusted position. A fan 24; is secured to a shaft'25 which latter is mounted in a suitable bearing 17a on the frame and is provided with a driving pulley 26.

The blower inlet is eccentric with the blowor housing and comprises a circular sheet metal plate 27, which is mounted for free rotation in agrooved ring 28 secured to the face 15?) of the blower housing 15. An outwardly extending chute supporting flange 29 is secured to the rotatable disc 27'and is ar ranged to receive and supportthe end of the hopper chute 7.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, an upwardly extending flange30 rests against the plate 27 and retains the hop-per chute in position in the locating flange 29. The eccentric position of the blower inlet (Fig. 3) is found to be most effective for the eflicient operation of the device and the free rotary mounting of the inlet member allows a free movement parallel to the blower housing whereby the chute"? which supports the grain hopper may be held in operative position regardless of the adjusted position of the blower housing and the housing may be rotated by loosening the clamps 20 and rotating the entire housing to move the outlet pipe 16 to any desired angular position, in which position it may be secured by tightening the clamps.

The embodiment shown maybe modified without departing from the spirit of the invention, andI-desireto be limited-only by the prior artand the appended claims. H

Having thus described my invention, what I'claimxand desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A grain handling device comprising a centrifugal blower fan, a blower casing. for said fan, a discharge con'duitleading from said casing,a shaft for the blower'fan, a bearing bracket for said shaft-having a swivel connection witlroneside ofthe fan casing, an open-topinclined gravity inlet chutev having a swivelconnection with the other side of the fan'casing, anda support securedto "the chute for holding it in inclined position, "whereby the bearing bracket supports one side of the fan casing and thechute supports "the other side of the fan casing and whereby the fan casing is'suspended by and swiveled betweenthesupp'ortingbracket and the supporting chute.

2. A grain handling device comprising'a centrifugal blower fan, a' blower'casing 'for said fan, a'disch'arge'conduit' leading 'from said casing, a shaft for the blower fan, a bearing bracket for said shaft having a swivel connection with one side of "the" fan casing, an open-top inclined gravity inlet chute" having a swivel connection with the other side of the fancasingyand a support secured to "the chute adjacent the end remote from the fan casing forholding itininclined position, whereby the bearing bracket supports one side of the fan casing and the chute supports the otherside ofthe fancasing and whereby the fan casing is suspended by and swiveled between thesupporting bracket and the supporting chute.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribedmy name.

OSCAR .A. WENB-ERG. 

